BEAUTIFUL STRANGERS*

The Many Faces of Josh Madine

2012-01-09T23:14:00.006-05:00

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After watching The Loose Moose Show for about five times, I really, really couldn't help it. He is too cute! If Josh gets to see this by any chance... umm... please don't kill me? Lol. Love you!

*** Please do not crop, copy, or post this image elsewhere. Thank you! ***

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The Loose Moose Show

2012-01-08T21:30:00.001-05:00

"This video is copyrighted. Failure to comply with the copyright laws shall result in being pounded like yesterday's beef."

The quote above is directly from The Loose Moose Show video description. That being said, I hope everyone to respect their fair wish and watch this amazing comedy from the original Dailymotion source until the boys decide to upload the episode to their Loose Moose Show Youtube channel. Also, don't forget to like their Facebook page!

The Loose Moose Show's season premiere *wink* has given me an imponderable joy to be precise. The script cleverly woven various tricks in both expected and unexpected spots. Not to mention that their acting is natural as breathing air! Huge kudos to Josh, Sam, Liam, Alex and Jonathan! I've never expected anything remotely close to this sheer essence of awesomeness. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love these guys more than ever. Like EVER. Especially Josh for being so damn cute even in his sarcastic and cynical moments! ;)

In the first act, Jonathan is mugged by a masked man who turns out to be Josh. This aspiring con artist attempts to sell the robbed wallet back to Jonathan but when his true identity gets uncovered, he runs away. My personal favorite part of this act is definitely "the many faces of Josh" in three seconds. Who would've thought he can actually frown? Lol.

Then the scene turns into Alex's epic daydream as a rock star. He was so immersed into his dance that I actually felt as if I was peeping into his room! Sam's suspicious face at the end was just cherry on the top. It was awesome. Definitely the best pseudo-silent-film ever!

I was emotionally overwhelmed for a split second to see Sam sitting behind the wheels. It was like a reality-slap that he is now seventeen which means that Sam and Josh can legally drive in the UK. Imagine stopping at a red light and seeing Josh in your next lane? Lol. The more interesting fact is that they both can buy their own drinks in this October. Holy cow... let's not think about that until later of this year... and yes, I'm such a huge digresser.

Going back to The Moose Loose Show, Liam and Sam closes the deal and "love you" slips out from Sam's mouth, immediately followed by an awkward silence and more awkwardness between them. I thought Sam is gonna turn that ergonomically designed wheel (lol) and drive away but that didn't happen. Maybe Sam is still learning how to drive? :)

The next act pokes fun at a seemingly current issue (is it?) about BBC's budget cuts. I've never watched Doctor Who before so I decided to watch some episodes on Netflix to get basic understandings of this act (FYI, seasons 1-5 are available to watch on Netflix). My initial impression is that Doctor Who is a time traveler whose time machine looks like a phone booth which is rather spacious inside. The Doctor and his companion travels to far, farrrrr future and encounters various extraterritorial creatures. Now let's get back to The Loose Moose Show.

Due to BBC's unfortunate financial decision, Jonathan plays the post-budget-cuts Doctor and Josh, in his ridiculous Afro wig, plays the new companion. However they only had five pounds to film this episode! Lol. After seeing a series of malfunctioning stage props, Josh calls it quits. I really enjoyed Josh and Jonathan's seamless acting in this one! Thanks for the camera person for mega-closeup shots of another "the many faces of Josh" ;)

We get a short break with the "You Wouldn't" series which I'd like to call "How to Prank Liam Connery in 101 Ways" except for the part where Josh faces execution (no!!) by Jonathan for illegally downloading a movie. My personal favorite was "You wouldn't shout at someone *insert Josh barking* and then beat them to death with their own shoes!" Lol. So random and so funny.

Another "Love you" mini-act follows next. Josh asks Jonathan how to get to St. Philips Church and then...

"Love you!"

For all the pranks Josh had pulled on Liam, it's time for revenge! Liam visits the most beautiful Mrs. Josh Madine to break bad news about her husband, Albert Smith. My absolute favorite part of this act is when Liam pulled out a teapot from his coat and two cups inside the hat. That was just genius! And of course I loved all the puns. Great work guys!

Yes, it's time for another "Love you" piece. This one is between Jonathan and Sam.

The next act is Academy Awards hosted by Jonathan! I really liked his sarcasm in this one. The nominees of the Most Anticlimax Film Ever are: The Fifth Sense (The Sixth Sense), Norbury Toothpick Massacre (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Normal Activity (Paranormal Activity). Alex as the Domino's Pizza delivery man was the pure gold in this one. Didn't know that they have Domino's in England too!

Sam announces An Emergency Broadcast. I can't make out what accent he is doing but my goodness, he is too funny! The boys suggest an inexpensive and original solution to minimize the number of household injuries which is to wear as many layers as possible! Lol. Aren't Josh and Liam so cute with their arms linked with big smiles? :D

The last "Love you" segment is brought to you by Alex and Josh. Oh btw, I LOVED seeing them in suits because A) they make them look like businessmen and B) I just love seeing men in suits, period.

I would call this act "How to Annoy Josh Madine in 101 Ways." Alex plays all sorts of innocent tomfoolery on Josh who is clearly not having the best day. I found it amazing that they took this in one shot! I'm sorry if I sound weird but I think Josh is too cute even when he snaps and rolls his eyes that I wanna bother the hell out of him like Alex did and just laugh at his reaction. Yes, he might yell at me to get out at the end but even that would be funny. Maybe because Josh's attitude here reminds me of my close friend and I'm definitely used to seeing him barking ;)

The last act of The Loose Moose Show season premiere is "How to Con Simple Blocks." This time around, Josh is a successful con artist in cool shades who tricks Liam (aka a simple block) that the gateway to Narnia is only steps away. Liam's excitement for the Narnian universe soon dies out when he finds out Jonathan at the other side of the door. And yes, I laughed out loud in real life at Jonathan's second sunglasses!

The ending credit is also funny! I love their dances! You can hear Liam saying "left, right, left, right" when they are sitting on the tree. How did they climb up so high? o_O

Oh boy. Ohhhhh boyyy. What can I say? I am the biggest fan of The Loose Moose Show now! I love their dances, I love their acts, and I love them! It was truly beautiful and joyful to see not only their talents but their special friendship. I'm so happy that they decided to share the video with us. Thank you Josh, Liam, Jonathan, Sam and Alex! You guys are awesome!! Really looking forward to seeing more! Love you! *awkward silence*

Madines 2011

2012-01-02T22:58:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I think reviewing Libera's 2011 is a great way to kick off the first blog post of the new year. Thanks so much to Yuki for this amazing video full of heartwarming memories!

I need to make a confession that for a split second, I thought I saw a young Josh in this picture which almost gave me a heart attack! Matt looks like a young Josh from THAT particular angle. I also think he is kinda tall for a 9-year-old! o_o

You see my point? They look pretty identical in these two photos except Matt was nine at that time and Josh was thirteen in the picture above. Hmm... either Josh has a baby face or Matt looks mature for his age.

About three years later, Josh has grown into a charming and talented young man. It's quite unbelievable that he is now seventeen, which means he can legally drive in the UK. Crazy! He is growing up soooo fast!!

Yay! Two thumbs up for Matt!!

d(^_^)b

Matt is like the apple of my eye. He is just so adorable!! I want a cute little brother like him! He still seems to be a bit shy talking to the fans. It took me several M&G videos to finally hear him saying hi and believe me, I was listening so carefully to catch that! Lol. I guess the more Libera experience he gets, the more relaxed and talkative he would be? I'm sure Josh has a tip or two regarding how to greet fans ;)

I have a good feeling about 2012 that Josh and Matt and of course the rest of Libera are gonna continue to rock my little blog.

Joy to the World

2011-12-21T15:55:00.001-05:00

Thank you JimmyRiddle and LiberaFan4Ever for fast uploads!

I've got like no time to post as I'm still at work (Sorry boss!!!) and I'm probably not gonna have time to blog until we glide into 2012. So here is the expedited, last blog post of the year. When I watch a Libera video, the first thing that naturally occurs to me is scanning and spotting my favorite brothers: Josh and Matt. Well, I've found Josh pretty quickly with his cute little haircut but where is Matt? :'(

Eoghan, Dylan, Cassius, Matthew RA

Eoghan and Dylan

Ralph

Matthew J and a bit of Kavana

Jakob, Luke, Carlos, Stefan and Barney

Daniel and Josh

Yay!!! Josh got a haircut!!!! Like! Like! Like!

I do NOT like those lights behind him trying to outshine my angel

He GLOWS. Josh doesn't need artificial lights alright... :(

Josh, Alex, Eoghan, Dylan, Cassius and Matthew RA

Barney

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!

Thank you for another exciting year with Libera.

Let's keep the party rolling in 2012 as well :)

Still Still Still on Songs of Praise

2011-12-04T12:54:00.008-05:00

Thanks to FDL, some fans around the world could watch Libera on Songs of Praise live. The boys performed Still Still Still but it turned out to be a rather short performance. All of us on Twitter instantly tweeted "...that was it?" Lol. Perhaps it had to be shortened due to absence of our deal Ralph. Still Still Still without Ralph is like pizza without cheese!

I found Ciaran so cute to watch. He seemed super concentrated on executing each note :) I think Stefan has gained his momentum since his return from "The Turn of the Screw." It's absolutely surreal to watch him sing.

Yay! Josh finally made his appearance on the screen after oh-so-long time! I really enjoyed watching the eight-year-old Issac singing like a little bird. Kinda reminded me of Flynn and aww I miss Flynn so much :'(

London Concert

2011-11-25T18:01:00.003-05:00

Photo Credit: Bullehynka

Libera members:
Henry Barrington, Jonathan Barrington, Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey, Tiarnan Branson, Jude Collins, Luke Collins, Liam Connery, Kavana Crossley, Thomas Delgado-Little, Jakob De Menezes-Wood, Dylan Duffy, Benjamin Fairman, Daniel Fontannaz, Matthew Jansen, Stefan Leadbeater, Alexander Leggett, Misha Lieven, Barnaby Lindsell, Isaac London, Joshua Madine, Matthew Madine, Eoghan McCarthy, Oscar McFall, Michael Menezes, Samuel Moriarty, Kuba Niedermaier-Reed, Cassius O'Connell-White, Benedict Philipp, Matthew Rangel-Alvares, Carlos Rodriguez, Ralph Skan, Bertie Smart, Michael Ustynovych-Repa, Lucas Wood

We have FIVE additions to the happy Libera family! Seems like Michael Menezes and Lucas Wood are related to Jakob. Could Bertie Smart be a little brother of Alfie?! I guess we'll find out soon. Welcome abroad boys! The pictures below are shared by Michael (LiberaFan4Ever). Thank you so much :)

I think Ben is born to be an entertainer, an epic one. Looking forward to see more videos from you! :)

I wonder what Daniel thinks about Veni Veni Emmanuel. I understand that the decision was made by Robert Prizeman and he has a good rationale. However handing over your solo is probably not the best feeling in the world when your voice is still perfectly capable of carrying the song... I don't know, maybe I'm over-thinking this and Daniel really doesn't care. I listen to Daniel's Veni Veni Emmanuel almost every day and I gotta say that his voice fits perfectly with the song :)

Everyone who went to the London concert, like every single person, recalled how memorable Josh was in Veni Veni Emmanuel. It seemed that he sung the song with great amount of confidence and presence that the entire audience was also emotionally channeled to him. I love that Josh is constantly discovering and thriving in his new voice :)

TOM!!!! So nice to see him finally!!! He has grown to be a handsome young man :') I am waiting for the day to see him illuminate like the brightest star on the stage. Miss you tons!♥

Carol of the Bells

2011-11-23T15:49:00.002-05:00

Two days before the London concert, Libera has unveiled the new Carol of the Bells video. Thanks for the late minute surprise! :D It was so great to see all the familiar faces happily singing to one of my favorite Christmas songs. My eyes were searching for Josh but he wasn't there along with other tenors like Sam, Alex, Tiarnan, Ben and Liam. Also no mini James, Freddie and Jakob... don't be a stranger yet! :'(

Is it my imagination or Matt looks a little down that Josh wasn't there? lol.

Matt's 10th Birthday

2011-11-15T18:05:00.001-05:00

Photo Credit: Enyu

Matt's birthday may or may not be today but I'm going to wish him anyway: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT♥ I hope you have a wonderful birthday this year and get lots of presents!! I'm sure your awesome big brother has saved up all his pocket money to get you the best gift ever ;)

You have no idea how much excitement you have brought to me for joining Libera. Thank you bud! I look forward to seeing you in Libera for many upcoming years :) Byeee♥

Libera Ranks #15 on Billboard

2011-11-13T20:55:00.001-05:00

The Christmas Album by Libera debuts at #15 on Billboard Classical Charts for the week of November 19. Thank you JimmyRiddle for the info. Congratulations Libera!! Hope we stay long on the chart :D

Related Article: Christmas Album Ranks #9 on Amazon

Christmas Album Preview (Official)

2011-11-12T12:31:00.005-05:00

The camera walk is clearly done by professionals. I think it's time for a new DVD release!! DVD! DVD! DVD! DVD! Come on EMI, hurry and commercialize it!

Loved when Michael said "We are having a Christmas album, umm... which is going to all Christmassy." This kid is too funny and too cute!! Is it just me or Ralph sounds like he is singing even when he is talking? ;) Also enjoyed when Luke said about the little ones who can reach really high since they all kinda seem little (more like young) to me. I feel like they are all like my cute little brothers♥

Thank you so much Libera for that snippet of Veni Veni Emmanuel :') Really wish Libera can come back to the States next year. That would be sooo awesome!! Going back to the video, Barney's "really big buzz" turns out to be a really cute dance move! Lol. Kudos to whoever edited this video, you have a great sense of humor ;) Hey, I never thought of White Christmas as a cheerful song?! I just listened to it one more time to catch Cassius' point. Yeah, you're right Cassius. White Christmas is kind of a cheery song! :D

Hands down to Jude for the quote of the day, "We hope we make this Christmas more special for our fans around the world because even if they don't get to see us, they can enjoy at home listening to us." How thoughtful of him! Aww- thanks Jude!! I know my Christmas will be extra special this year because of you and your Libera buddies :) Love you all♥

Eternal Light Music Video

2011-11-09T07:08:00.003-05:00

Watching a newly uploaded Libera video is probably one of the best ways to start a day :) Everyone looks so tiny compare to now. Kids really do grow up fast! Stefan's voice is perfect for this song. It was really nice to hear how he used to sing. Sorry about this poor Pokemon analogy but I think his singing style has 'evolved' since he recorded Eternal Light. It's really great to see how he progresses as a performer :) I'll be cheering for you Stefan!

Philippines Tour Official Pictures

2011-11-05T19:42:00.004-04:00

Lol. Alex is so funny!

Isaac is such a cutie :) Two thumbs up to you!

Like the beauty pageants... lol

Okay. I demand a DVD now.

The MOOSE!

Josh's birthday maybe? :)

Such a good picture of Matthew RA

Ha, the beach boys!
Isaac is such a fashionista. Do you see what I see? ;D

Stefan :D :D :D

Ciaran and Michael

Love the starry background

Two Matthews :)

These are some of my favorite pictures. There are more on the Official Libera website gallery so please check it out! Thank you Libera :D

#Libera on QVC

2011-11-05T05:33:00.014-04:00

I woke up at 4:45am to watch Libera on QVC UK! Lol. The segment started at 5am in my time. We had a massive #Libera Twitter party and had a lot of fun there! Thanks djkoyottes for getting the video up so fast. The boys were fantastic as always. They were practically glowing like Christmas trees! ;D

Shout out to Matthew RA for fiercely looking at the camera the whole time!

Really makes my screen-shot process easier :)

Matthew Jansen and blurry Cassius

Stefan and Eoghan, my two favorite soloists (+ Ralph)

Daniel was the leader for the day! :)

"It's just the experience and meeting all the fans"

"They [Libera] develop you as a musician.

You learn to sing, you learn to phrase and it's such a big opportunity as well"

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Barney :)

This side of Eoghan reminds me of Oliver Putland for some reasons

"They [the songs] were pretty moderate"

Gotta love the honesty! xD

Barney is 11 years old! Yay!

"It is quite hard but we manage to have rehearsals quite often so

we have time to do homework after school. We have plenty of time.

But it's hard work"

Isn't Eoghan so adorable? Luke is so cute in the last one too ;)
Loved when Eoghan looked up to Ralph and smile. So cute!

It was so lovely to hear Stefan's solo in White Christmas. There is something new about Stefan's voice since the Peace album. His singing style was, for the lack of a better word, like a fast ball. Not sure if his opera experience has influenced his singing or not, but his "evolved" style has more dimensions to Stefan's fantastic voice and it's purely awesome. The greatest thing about Stefan is that he knows how to season the songs with his special spices which makes each song so special. This talented young man seems so busy building his professional career! So happy for Stefan :)

Lastly, I'd like to acknowledge #Libera Twitter party attendees: Lauren (US), Yuki (Japan), Enyu (Philippines), Hannah (Philippines), Yorkie (UK), Patrick (France), Bullehynka (France), Martin (Germany), Murkskis (Latvia), Phlibera (Philippines), Maarten (Netherlands), Kazuyo (Japan), Teyko (Japan), Furby (France), and the one and only Andy Winter (UK). That's quite a number of people around the world! :)

Great job everyone and hope we do this more often (that means more TV appearances Libera, but no pressure!). Anything for Libera♥

Himig Ng Pasko

2011-11-04T19:36:00.001-04:00

I'm not a big fan of blue lights but I'm sure a big fan of Ralph now! He was completely submerged in music, watching him alone was a surreal experience. Not to mention that I absolutely love his soft-blanket-like voice. I've been thinking lately that Ralph must be like the nicest, kindest kid in his town, or in England, or in the whole world. Lol. The amount of happiness and positiveness or what I'd call 'sunshine' he has inside is just incredible. It reminds me of when Josh was so tiny and had a magical power to eradicate cancer with his smile. I know I'm not making a whole lot of sense with my rambling. But the point is that Ralph makes me really, really, really happy and I'm a person in need of constant supply of happiness. My all-time favorite Ralph is when he wears that modest smile and says "THAnk you." Makes me wanna say "thank YOU" back to him ;)

What about Isaac at the end? YEAH! What about Isaac at the end? He was amazing!! His little-bit-shy-but-totally-satisfied smile melted my heart. What a beautiful performance by Libera. I'm gonna watch it again!

Yuki's M&G Video

2011-11-04T19:04:00.003-04:00

Best M&G video ever existed in Libera's history. Oh yes.

Finally a video from Yuki the Libera Ambassador! She and her mom have been to so many Libera concerts around the world that the boys recognize and greet them with the most welcoming smiles. I'm probably the only Libera fan who has gone to a Libera concert who hasn't had a chance to meet Yuki. It turned out that the only concert I went was one of the few she missed. Lol. What a timing.

It's one-of-a-kind experience to see their faces just lit up like a Christmas tree when they see her. I really like to thank her for uploading the video as these expressions are specially (and unintentionally) reserved for some of the biggest Libera fans like her. Wish I can get the same type of reception someday :) Anyway, too bad one of the local staffs was keep pushing her down to the line. Lady, I know you're trying to do your job but you clearly didn't understand that she's a VIP!

Stefan Leadbeater

Barney Lindsell

Luke Collins

Matthew Jansen

Henry Barrington

Matthew Rangel-Alvares

Cassius O'Connell-White

Ben Philipp

Tom Delgado-Little

Michael Ustynovych-Repa

Isaac London

Matt Madine

Liam Connery

Alex Leggett

Ralph Skan

Jonathan Barrington

Kavana Crossley

Carlos Rodriguez

Eoghan McCarthy

Josh Madine

Tiarnan Branson

Dylan Duffy

Luke Collins

Ben Fairman

Daniel Fontannaz

Ciaran Bradbury-Hickey

Jakub Niedermaier-Reed

Sammy Moriarty

Thank you again Yuki :) Check out her blog for her exciting Libera adventures!

The Christmas Album Review

2011-11-01T18:39:00.008-04:00

- Pictures of Ralph, Daniel, Eoghan, Stefan are from Hannah.

- Pictures of Jakob, mini James and Freddie are from Lexi and Lauren.

- Pictures of Luke, Josh and Cassius are from Jimmy (from Japan).

- The album picture below is taken by me but no one cares! :p

I had the album delivered to work simply I couldn’t wait till I get home! It arrived around 10am and I audibly shrieked that a lady across my office instantly knew my long-awaited package has arrived. After much admiration and frantic Twitter updates, I started listening to the album for the first time.

Did everyone catch Tom Cully’s name in the album? He was listed as an assistant with Ben Crawley. Tom has taken off the white robe but it’s truly lovely to see him around Liibera, doing his things. It was such a great relief to see his name on the credit list :) Miss you tons Tom!! Hope to hear your music soon!

Someone told me before that in the last album (Peace) there were less harmonies compared to the older songs. I agree with this person. As much I love the Peace album, like how the choir sounds in the Christmas Album better because I think the lower harmonies make each song more substantial and fuller. So big thank you-s to all Libera tenors (Jonathan, Tiarnan, Liam, Alex, Sam, Josh, Ben and Sammy) for adding another layer to the harmony :)

Joy to the world
The most perfect opening song for a Christmas album! As soon as the celebratory trumpet sound begins the song, you know you have stepped into Libera’s winter wonderland. I’ve been listening to this song when EMI made it available for a free download so I don't really have much to say. Lol.

Still Still Still (solo: Ralph Skan)
Still Still Still is a peaceful song like its title. I’ve been trying to find more appropriate words to describe Ralph’s voice other than bluntly saying “I LOVE IT!” I think his voice is like a soft blanket that holds a baby. Just about to get cozy surrounded by Ralph’s voice, a lower voice (which sounded like Sam's) joins and creates another dimension of subtle beauty. I bet this is the lullaby the angels sang for baby Jesus :)

Carol of the Bells
The more I listen to Carol of the Bells, the more I realize how complex this song is. Loved the way all the voices are woven together to create the perfect pattern of harmonies. Every voice, every effect and even every breath was coordinated with precision. I’m sure every Libera song strives for perfection. It’s just that the effort is more evident in this song.

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel (solo: Daniel Fontannaz)
The late blooming flowers surely more beautiful! (related post: Daniel Fontannz: Late-Blooming Flower) Daniel’s voice has gone deeper from the previous album but I’m really glad he got another solo. Really loved the part where the full choir sings together. It created a powerful sound.

Once in Royal David’s City (solo: Eoghan McCarthy)
I knew I’d fall in love with Eoghan’s exceptional voice when I first heard Glory to Thee during the US tour 2011. Eoghan has a voice that you want to listen over and over because he sings each note and each word with so much sincerity. It’s like he is singing about something above and beyond my comprehension and I’m here trying to catch a glimpse of it. Again, love the full sound of the choir.

O Holy Night (solo: Ralph Skan)
O Holy Night is another breathtaking solo by Ralph. His voice is just as embracing as his personality—warm and kind voice from a warm and kind heart. You know how he swings when he sings? (Watch Song of Life music video if you don’t know what I’m talking about) I could picture him singing this song, swaying as if he’s conducting himself.

White Christmas (solo: Stefan Leadbeater)
Stefan’s unprecedented voice shines through White Christmas. I loved his interpretation as he owned this song with his confident yet delicate voice. He even expressed the subtle presence of loneliness in the song as the “speaker” longing for a white Christmas in sunny and green Beverly Hills. I found it incredible that Stefan captured all that emotions and poured into a song. How can you not fall in love with that?

Corpus Christi Carol (solos: James Mordaunt and Ralph Skan)
Everyone who listens to this song will terribly miss mini James. I know I did. Only mini James has feathery-like voice that freely swings between each note. His pure and innocent voice illustrates absolute transparency like an angel made of glass. Earlier in the post, I’ve mentioned that Ralph’s voice is like a soft blanket. Adding on to that analogy, mini James and Ralph’s duet reminds me of a feathery blanket, if that makes any sense to you...but it does make whole lot of sense to me! Lol. Their duet was just as wonderfully harmonious as Tom and Josh on Love and Mercy.

In Dulci Jubilo
In Dulci Jubilo is such a delightful song. It reminds me of an enchanted heart when you are taking first steps into the fresh snow. Loved the sound of an instrument (recorder?).

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (solos: James Mordaunt and Ralph Skan)
Well, we've heard this song long, long time ago. Here is the post I wrote a while ago regarding mini James and this song, James Mordaunt: Mini is the New Big.

Sing the Story (solo: Luke Collins)
Oh my goodness, Luke Collins!! Where have you been, superstar?!! What a wonderful and soothing voice he has. I’m so glad that Luke got a chance to shine. I sincerely believe that everyone deserves a solo in his Libera career, not just in concerts but in albums as well. I’d hate to see precious talents come and go without given a chance to demonstrate their full potentials. But then, I think Robert Prizeman knows what’s best for the group.

Coventry Carol (solos: Josh Madine, Ralph Skan and Stefan Leadbeater)
Before listening to the song, I was slightly confused why/how Josh got a solo. Don’t get me wrong. As his biggest fan, I am and will always be happy for every activity Josh partakes in an album or a concert. I just thought it was a bit untraditional. Time, Faithful Heart and Lullabye were more understandable since his voice was still higher. However, Josh’s current voice (or as of May-July when Libera recorded the album) is so much deeper that his solo seemed discordant in an album full of treble voices. Well, after I listened to the whole song, it turned out that Robert Prizeman is a genius and I just needed to shut the hole in my face. Lol. I love when Libera proves me wrong!! Let me tell you, the solo for Coventry Carol had to be Josh Madine.

Coventry Carol is about the Massacre of the Innocents when King Herod ordered all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem to be slaughtered. The lyrics illustrate unimaginable sorrow of every mother in Bethlehem. Coventry Carol is a song about mourning, not celebration. Imagine an angel’s voice singing about slaying of hundreds and thousands of innocent children? It might sound melancholy on its own but the lamenting ambiance of this song will never be captured in the same way. It had to be Josh. No further argument there. This is the first Libera song where tenor is the main melody and treble is the backing vocals. I’m sure Coventry Carol was a risky experiment for both Robert Prizeman and Josh. However, Mr. Prizeman trusted his veteran chorister and Josh trusted his director, we the listeners were able to experience a natural paradigm shift.

It was a heavy song to listen to since Josh’s solemn voice mounts weigh on the already-very-sad lyrics. Coventry Carol could’ve been heck of a depressing song but Ralph and Stefan saved it from potential disparity (lol) with their supporting melodies and descants. Again, Robert Prizeman is a genius :) I wonder if the lowest voice in this song belongs to Mr. Prizeman. That would be wicked awesome.

The First Nowell (solo: Freddie Ingles)
I think Freddie’s tender and innocent voice has the same texture as mini James’. They sounded like newborn angels when I first heard them singing a duet to Prayer in 2009. Since then, they have sung more duets and they have grown enough to carry their own solos.

Jubilate Deo (solo: Jakob De Menezes-Wood)
I really loved Jakob’s solo in Lead Kindly Light in the previous Peace album, so it’s safe to say that I had predetermined expectation on his voice and he exceeded it (obviously). In recent concerts, Jubilate transited into Libera so I was wondering if it would do the same. It didn’t but every time the song reaches that bridge point, I couldn’t help but sing Libera in my head ;)

While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (solo: Cassius O'Connell-White)
Everyone is required to tell Cassius how wonderful his solo was before asking him to do another meow or Donald Duck sound! Lol. I think the song overall sounds very similar to the one from Aled’s Christmas DVD (2008). Pretty nostalgic.

Lullabye (solos: Josh Madine, Jakob de Menezes-Wood and Benedict Philipp)
I still don’t know how Lullabye is listed in this album but it surely is a good way to compare Josh’s voice. At least Coventry Carol and Lullabye aren’t back to back each other. That would be slightly awkward :p

I love Libera♥

Christmas Album Ranks #9 on Amazon

2011-10-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

October 31, 2011
The Christmas Album (Deluxe edition) ranked #12 on Amazon Classical Music chart. The most exciting part is that the album hasn't even released in the US yet!!

November 1, 2011
The Christmas Album releases today. Libera is now ranked #9. Awesome! :)

If you resides in the United States and would like to order a copy of this magnificent album, please purchase it through the Official Libera Shop, powered by Amazon, so Libera can receive a commission from CD sales.

Cebu, CEBU!

2011-10-29T11:13:00.006-04:00

Holy Cebu!! BEST. LIBERA. VIDEO. EVER. Thank you Libera360!! The amount of excitement here reminds of Libera's Japan tour when Tom, Michael H and Josh danced with cosplay girls ;)

The welcoming dance was beautiful but the real deal starts from 7:25. Kudos to JB and Ben for leading the dance circle. JB's got some moves!! :D Kudos to Daniel, Cassius, Kavana, Matthew J, Ralph, Matt, Isaac, Eoghan, Henry, Dylan, Barney, Jakub, Jude and Nano Ben for showing us that Libera is a fun-loving group of people :) Sorry about the blurry screen shots, they moved so fast for me. Lol.

Big happy smiles :D I wonder if they received the same reception (meaning a band playing this amazing song and kids dancing) when they visited Cebu last time. Okay, just read PHILIBLOG II and the mysterious writer stated "...we were greeted by a band singing the famous 'Cebu' song which those of use who had been before remembered so well." So there you have it. Speaking of the song, this is so great, I love it!! I was actually singing along with them, "Cebu, CEBU! radadada cebu, Cebu!" Lol.

Barney is so funny with his digital camera that looks strikingly similar to Josh's! Same model perhapse? O_O I've noticed from various pictures and videos from past couple of days that Barney is the epitome of an enthusiastic tourist. He is living and loving every moment in the Philippines! :D

This is the video I mentioned in the beginning. It was taken in Fall 2005 so that makes Josh 11 years old (probably just had his birthday). Is is just me or the 9-year-old Matt looks as old/mature as the 11-year-old Josh?? Anyway, you can watch Tom, Michael H and Josh dancing around 5:00 mark but you might as well watch the whole thing and get totally amazed at how little, mini, tiny, nano all the big boys used to be! Even Big Ben and Steven look so young there. I probably looked so young back then too! xD

Oh how time flies.

Madines in Pines

2011-10-28T23:40:00.006-04:00

Pictures will be constantly added to this post as I come across more pictures of my favorite brothers in the whole world! :D

Photo credit: Hannah

At Manila M&G, Josh and Matt finally sat next to each other! :D Ahhh- I'm so happy they did. Before the M&G, I shamelessly requested Hannah a huge favor to say hi to Josh from me. The wonderful Hannah did say hi to Josh and he replied "Please tell her I said hello back" with that famous smile. Yep, I was sent to Heaven and high-fived Jesus. Lol. The last time I asked another Libera friend to say hi to Josh from me (actually it was a happy birthday), his response was "who is Inna." His reply this time was so much better. Ten points to Josh for excellent fan service!

Photo credit: Libera Philippines

Lucky Josh is spending another birthday abroad and getting loads of presents :) I think it's great to celebrate your birthday in a different country with all your friends. It's also really lovely to see brothers sitting next to each other! :) Jude and Luke also sat next to each other at the Manila M&G.

Photo credit: JB's Facebook Fan Page

Thank you mummy and daddy Madine for your beautiful children, they make me happy everyday :) Matt, I'm especially happy that you joined Libera. You'll just have to put up with me as I'm the biggest sunk cost from your brother. Lol. Sorry that was an accounting joke. Matt is currently 9 years old (he is turning 10 in November). That's way younger than when Josh first joined Libera! FYI, Josh's first public appearance was St. John's Church concert in 2005. If you do the math, he was 10 at that time (watch the video here). Yay!!! Long live Matthew Madine!!! :D Can't wait till Matt starts doing interviews and getting solo parts. I might break into dance with joy! :D

Photo credit: Hannah

At Manila concert M&G, more people wished Josh a happy birthday as he turned seventeen a couple hours later. Did I say that Josh had a solo part in Veni, Veni Emmanuel? It kills me quite painfully for not being able to listen to it :/ Anyway, I almost fainted at Matt's outer-space-adorable smile. It's just not fair anymore, the boy is too cute!!

Photo credit: Camille via Charmaine

Photo credit: Enyu

Josh is such a professional meet-and-greeter now. Look at him waving at the crowd like a prince. I wonder what was going on inside of Matt's head when he heard all these teenage girls screaming Josh's name. Lol. Crazy stuff.

Photo credit: Yuki

My dream just came true. Two of my favorites looking at Yuki's camera at the same time! They really do have the same smiles :) Me likey.

Photo credit: LiberaChina

Some more beautiful pictures from a Chinese fan :)

Greetings and MM

2011-10-28T23:17:00.006-04:00

Liam, Daniel, Tiarnan, Josh and Kavana saying hello to the members of Libera360. Wow, jelly! Imagine there is a video where Libera boys greet me? Holy cow, I might break into dance and faint, whichever comes first. Lol.

Hi Charmaine, are you reading this? This one is for you! :D Liam, if you ever get to read this post, Charmaine is your big fan in Malaysia :)

Two thumbs up to the fans! :D Hehe, thanks Daniel!

Tiarnan was so cute with a little shrug and "We'll see you in the next tour!" Lol. Obviously!

Looks like Kavana is a regular visitor! He said "I've seen the website, I love it, I love the logo, keep up what you're doing!" So nice of him! Kavana, have you seen my blog? Never? Okay, cool :'(

I ended the last post by quite shamelessly admitting my lack of creativity. However that sad, sad, sad stage of my fan-ship ends right now until the next "Josh-fan's-block" ;)

I've never seen him talking so fast and hyper and animated!! Someone is super excited to turn seventeen in a tropical country! ;) Below is my step-by-step reaction when watching this part:
1. Wow, he's pumped.
2. Hmm... hmm??
3. Hold on, did I just see a glimpse of...?

Mickey Mouse?!!
I swear, it was just a glimpse! Just one glimpse! Kinda tempted to draw a pair of Mickey Mouse ears on Josh's picture but as tempted I am, I'd like to maintain my status as a fan so you won't see that on my blog.

Now, someone please tell me how to conclude this post properly... *hides in a corner*

P.S.
Matt, please don't call your brother Mickey.

P.P.S.
But just once is fine ;)

Manila Concert M&G

2011-10-28T21:53:00.005-04:00

This is gonna be a wicked long post ;) Thank you britannyM96 for uploading an awesome video. I had so much fun capturing great moments!

Henry and the Collins brothers. Luke looks like a such a big boy next to Jude, taking an excellent care of the little one. Ah, I wish Henry also sat next to JB. Maybe next time :)

I have posted so many pictures of Josh and Matt for the past couple of days (see Madines in Pines), I'm actually running out of things to say other than "aww- so cute." Can you believe that? Thought I could talk about these two for ages without getting tired!! Lol.

Although I'm running out of creative and interesting remarks, I had the biggest smile on my face looking at these pictures of Josh and Matt sitting next to each other. Matt definitely doesn't look like Josh when he was younger but they have the same smiles that I love so much. Another thing I noticed from these pictures is that they have the same um... for the lack of a better word, aura? Whatever you may describe that thing, Josh and Matt have the same aura of kindliness and gracefulness. Yup, they are brothers for sure :) Okay, maybe I can continue talking about Josh and Matt for three more paragraphs. Just kiddinggg.

Cassius is not so newbie anymore! It's been almost two years since he toured the world with Libera and it's also been almost two years since he kindly demonstrated the famous "meow" and Donald Duck sounds. I wonder if he ever gets tired of tens of hundreds of fans requesting them. If I were him, I probably said "Sorry I retired from that gig" but I'm a mean old person and Cassius is not. Lol. He might be having a ton of fun doing it!

Stefan is back after his successful debut as an Opera singer in Vienna, Austria. After his massive achievement in "The Turn of the Screw" he returned to Libera as one of the most beloved soloists. It's like a return of the king! Lol. So happy to have you back Stefan. You've grown up so much!

This one is for Enyu, the biggest Ben fan walked on the face of the Earth. This gentleman made her so happy that she was teleported to Heaven and did Tinikling (the Philippine traditional bamboo dance) with cherubs. She told me how fantastic Ben was and I swear I was gonna switch my username from dearmadine to dearphilipp! Lol.

I think Michael is just so cute. I can still hear him saying "That's a quite hard question" in my head! Lol. The reason I have few or no pictures of the newbies is not because I like them less, but because they just don't look at the camera! :'( Le major sigh. Look at these two, they look like they are doing homework! But then I think greeting lines of people and posing for cameras and writing your name down just about a thousand times are quite a bit of challenge to coordinate simultaneously. If someone put me in their situation, I'm certain I would act like the newbies too.

Yes. Matt is also super concentrated on getting the signatures down as fast as he can so he can pass to the next person, who happens to be Liam.

Without a doubt, Liam is a certified meet-and-greet professional with oh-so-many rounds of concerts over the years. Look how alert and engaged he is! I bet Liam can knit a sweater with his free toes and do a round of M&G at the same time. I know, my hyperbole is especially obnoxious today ;)

I had the longest aww-s when I saw this. Daniel and Nano Ben are soooo cute!! Look how "nano" Ben's hands are compare to Daniel's ;D

My goodness, I'm actually out of words to say! Um... hi Josh, you have a beautiful smile. Me likey a lot.

The end!

Libera Blogs in PH

2011-10-27T21:48:00.004-04:00

Libera posted a newest blog post! It's properly titled "PHILIBLOG" and you can read it here. Thank you Libera for posting in your busy, busy schedule!! :D I read it on my new phone and I had the biggest struggle (yup, I admit that I'm technologically challenged) trying to save the picture below on my phone. I did manage to save it and now it's my phone background!♥

"Liam and Josh did a jazzy improv session on the piano they have in there,
and we bought gifts for relatives and ourselves."

I cannot begin to tell you how lovely this picture is. I'm sure everyone in Libera is a really great friend to each other but when you think about it, the older boys have been friends for about good half of their lives! That's really cool that you've known someone for HALF of your life. I just love this picture because it shows Liam and Josh's friendship. Also love the Santa statue, it fits perfect with the Christmas Album in a tropical country! Ha ha. Can't wait for their next exciting blog :)

Libera Press Conference

2011-10-26T20:17:00.005-04:00

Kavana: I speak of all of us that we feel privileged that everyone here is doing such a great cause and using our, what we love for building to change lives of so many different children so they can grow up be privileged. I think that what we are doing, you said earlier that it's was a great work, I think that's it's an honor to sing for all of you, and all our hobbies and our talents are used for the best that it can be. Thank you.

Let me tell you how much I loved Kavana's answer. His response was so thoughtful and just beyond his age! There are moments when I fall in love with Libera all over again and feel great about being a Libera fan. I can safely say that this was one of those my "falling in love with Libera...again!" moments. Thank you Kavana, you are a beautiful person both inside and outside.

I also enjoyed when Michael stumbled upon his answer and said "That's a quite hard question... it's my second tour so..." Lol. So adorable! Gotta love how honest children are :) When you think about it, that is a hard question because while you wanna make the hosting country happy but you don't wanna let other countries down.

The second video portrays the great introduction of Libera Playground and lots of picture taking moments! I love how Barney has a big, happy smile permanently pasted on his face :) Barney really seems to enjoy the Philippines. He has that "tourist look" on his face, curious and excited at just about everything he sees! Anyway, the plaque says:

LIBERA Playground

Donated by British Alumni Association

(Under the chairmanship of

former Secretary of Finance

Robert de Ocampo)

With special acknowledgement of LIBERA,

whose concerts in Manila as

Ambassador of Goodwill

helped raised funds for this project and

foster Philippines-UK Frieindship.

YAY! So proud of Libera :)
Related post: Children Helping Children

Josh's 17th Birthday

2011-10-25T19:41:00.003-04:00

Hannah said "Birthday boy for you!" and showed this picture via Twitter
Think it's the perfect picture for this post :) Thanks Hannah!

This is my third year wishing Josh a happy birthday. Really it's been three years already? That's quite a long time! The past three years has been a wonderful journey as a Josh fan to "watch" him grow from a smiley little boy to a handsome young man. I know it's his birthday but I'd like to thank Josh's parents and his siblings first as their son/brother turned out to be a lovely human being. Anyone who knows him is blessed to have him in their lives and that includes all of us fans around the world!

Thank you for all you do in Libera.
Thank you for being born.
Thank you for being the wonderful you.

Happy birthday Josh :)

Christmas Concert Song List and Soloists

2011-10-25T18:56:00.002-04:00

Yuki, Hannah, Enyu and Lauren. Thank you so much for quick updates!

1. Jubilate - Libera (solo: Cassius and Barney)
2. Joy to the World
3. Still, Still, Still (solo: Ralph)
4. Song of Life (solo: Ralph)
5. Sanctus
6. Salva Me (high notes: Matthew RA)
7. Stay With Me (solo: Daniel and Cassius, high notes by Matthew RA)
8. Veni, Veni Emmanuel (solo Josh and Ralph)
9. Exultate (solo: Stefan)

Interval

10. Carol of the Bells
11. Gloria in Excelsis
12. The Fountain (solo: Ralph)
13. Eternal Light (solo: Stefan)
14. Sing the Story (solo: Luke)
15. Ave Verum (solo: Carlos)
16. In Dulci Jubilo
17. Glory to Thee (solo: Eoghan)
18. How Shall I Sing That Majesty (solo: Stefan and Eoghan)
Encore: White Christmas (solo: Stefan)
Encore: Himig ng Pasko (solo: Ralph and Isaac)

When I first took a glance at the song list, I was quickly scanning for Coventry Carol. When I didn't see that on the list, I was like 'oh well, no Josh I guess' and went back to work. OKAY. Got me wrong again Mr. Josh! He did a solo for Veni Veni Emmanuel?! Like HOLY EVERYTHING!!! Ohmigosh. I am so upset that I didn't get to hear this song live. It's killing me!! Quite literally since I love this song and I love Josh. Le sigh. Super sad. I totally said a long time ago (here) that I'd love to hear Veni Veni Emmanuel sung by the older boys and out of all of them, Josh sang the solo. As I'm not going to the London concert, I'm never gonna hear that live :'(